Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the inferior right hepatic vein for the treatment of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Budd-Chiari Syndrome is one of the several causes of portal hypertension and is characterised by hepatomegaly, ascites and abdominal pain. The treatment requires either medical or interventional/surgical procedures. A case of Budd-Chiari Syndrome with a membranous web that causes obstruction in the ostium of the inferior right hepatic vein is reported here which was treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). The patient was asymptomatic and off medication and there was no recurrence after 18-months follow-up.

Comparison of effective doses obtained from dose-area product and air kerma measurements in interventional radiology.

In this study, measurements of dose-area product (DAP) and entrance dose were carried out simultaneously in a sample of 162 adult patients who underwent different interventional examinations. Effective doses for each measurement technique were estimated using the conversion factors that have been determined for specific X-ray views in a mathematical phantom. Exposure conditions used in clinical practice never match these theoretical models exactly, and deviations from the assumed standard conditions cause uncertainties in effective dose estimations. Higher effective dose values are found if the air kerma results are used rather than DAP readings, both for patient and Rando phantom studies. Comparison of DAP, fluoroscopy times and skin doses were made with published data. DAP measurement for the effective dose calculation and thermoluminescent dosimeter for the skin dose estimates are found to be the most reliable methods for patient dosimetry.

Behçet's disease presenting as deep venous thrombosis and priapism.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multi-system inflammatory disorder which may involve the vascular system. Currently, it is general practice to use the International Study Group (ISG) criteria for the diagnosis of BD. However, even though vascular involvement may be seen in one-fourth to one-half of BD patients, and occasionally is the presenting and only manifestation of BD, large vessel disease is not included among the ISG criteria. In this report we describe a patient who had deep venous thrombosis and priapism, but who does not fulfill ISG criteria for the diagnosis of BD.

Subarachnoid heamorrhage-induced chronic cerebral vasospasm in the rabbit: IV-DSA versus IA-DSA.

BACKGROUND: Chronic cerebral vasospasm is delayed-onset cerebral arterial narrowing in response to blood clots left in the subarachnoid space after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Rabbit models of vasospasm have been developed as in vivo experimental pathogenesis and the treatments of cerebral vasospasm using human vessels are not possible. The present study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of the intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IV-DSA) in chronic cerebral arterial spasm following induced SAH in the rabbit. METHOD: Ten rabbits' left leg veins catheterised by intravascular access needle and 3F catheters introduced to the right leg arteries probing the proximal of the vertebral arteries. Initially IV-DSA and intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (IA-DSA) was performed. Three millilitres of fresh autologous arterial blood was injected into the cisterna magna of the ten rabbits' in order to produce in vivo model of chronic SAH. Angiograms were obtained 15 minutes and 72 hours after the SAH. FINDINGS: Diameters of the basilar arteries were similar to each other in both methods and reduced after the SAH. INTERPRETATION: The present study shows that IV-DSA is a relatively simple and effective method for demonstrating cerebral vessels, especially the basilar artery.

Cross-sectional imaging in ureter tumors: findings and staging accuracy of various modalities.

We present cross-sectional imaging findings in eight patients with ureter tumors. Eight patients were examined by computed tomography (CT), seven by ultrasonography (US), and five by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All the lesions were detected by the three modalities. All modalities were accurate in excluding the periureteral invasion and lymphadenopathy in Stages 1 and 2 tumors. While CT and MRI identified the periureteral invasion and lymphadenopathy in four patients with advanced tumors, US failed to show the local invasion in three of four patients. Nevertheless, enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes could be detected sonographically in the three Stage 4 tumors. CT and MRI appear to have a high diagnostic sensitivity and staging accuracy in ureter tumors. Although US detects ureter tumors efficiently, this technique seems to be unreliable in showing local invasion in a substantial number of patients.

Frequency of cavum veli interpositi in non-psychotic population: a magnetic resonance imaging study.

This prospective MRI investigation was performed to determine the incidences of the cavum veli interpositi (CVI) in 505 (242 Male, 263 Female) non-psychotic persons. The mean age of the population was 39,179 +/- 0,904 (40,461 +/- 1,395 Male, 38 +/- 1,166 Female). There was no significant difference between the means of age in male and female groups (t-test, DF=479, p>0,05). The incidences of the CVI were 5.77%, 1.89%, 5.66%, 8.24%, 5%, 4.55%, 7.94%, 3.03% for age group of 0-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 respectively. There was no significant difference between the incidences of the CVI in age-groups (chi(2)=3.804, DF=7, p>0.05). The incidences of the CVI were 5.54%, 6.61%, 4.56% for whole, male, and female populations respectively. There was no significant difference between the incidences of the CVI in both sexes (chi(2)=1.01, DF=1, p>0.05).

Post-traumatic high-flow priapism: management by superselective transcatheter autologous clot embolization and duplex sonography-guided compression.

High-flow priapism is caused by uncontrolled arterial inflow into the penis, often from direct arterial trauma. We report a case of arterial or high-flow priapism that was treated with a combination of selective transcatheter autologous clot embolization and duplex sonography-guided compression therapy. Sonography showed a pulsatile, anechoic area at the base of the penis inside the left corpus cavernosum after blunt perineal trauma, and color Doppler examination revealed an arteriosinusoidal fistula. Autologous clot embolization was only partially successful, and 3 sessions of ultrasound-guided compression therapy were necessary to achieve complete thrombus formation in the fistulous tract, which became isoechoic a day after compression therapy.